Pin cushions



Dec. 31, 1957 B. s. ANDERSON 2,818,206

PIN cUsHIoNs Filed March le. 195e JNVENTOR.

' 5ft/Hay 5 ANW/50N nited States Patent O 2,818,206 PIN CUSHIONS Beverly Simpson Anderson, Mount Carmel, Conn., ass'ivgnor of one-third to Eugene H. Simpson, Milwaukee,

Application March 16, 1956, Serial No. 571,982 Claims. (Cl. 223-109) This invention relates to pin cushions and more particularly to a pin cushion having antiseptic qualities.

When dressing infants it sometimes happens that either the mother or child receives a puncture wound or is scratched by a diaper pin. Since diaper pins, once used, become contaminated with dangerous germs as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus, there is serious danger ofy infection from such wounds. To eliminate the danger of infection it is necessary to sterilize the diaper pins before re-use. Such sterilization, however, requires special equipment not usually available in the nursery, and hence is not apt to be used by the mother.

It has been found that a pin cushion is usually available and is a desirable article in which to retain diaper pins and that it is easily and normally kept out of the reach of a child, and thus .prevents him from handling and perhaps swallowing one of the pins.

It is an object yof this invention to provide a pin cushion containing an antiseptic which will be elective in killing germs on pins when the pins are inserted in the cushion.

Another object is to reduce the possibility of infection from diaper pins, or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pin cushion which will sharpen pins upon insertion therein and simultaneously sterilize such pins.

Still further objects will become apparent from the following specication, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing:

The single figure shows a pin cushion made in accordance with the precepts of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the pin cushion comprises a bag 10 of porous cloth such as muslin, or the like, which has been soaked in 4an antiseptic solution and allowed to dry.

The bag is partly lled with la layer 11 of a mixture of an abrasive material such as aluminum oxide powder or emery dust and a granular or crystalline antiseptic with a layer 13 of cotton between the abrasive-antiseptic material 11 and the bottom of the bag.

The cotton 13 should be soaked in the antiseptic solution and allowed to dry prior to placing it in the pin cushion. This treatment permeates the cotton with crystals of the antiseptic and reinforces the effect of the antiseptic in the emery.

One lantiseptic which has been found to be satisfactory is zinc sulfocarbolate [Zn(C6H5O.SO3)2.8H2O] since it is of low toxicity and is effective in killing germs usually found on diaper pins, and comes in granular form so that it may retain its strength for a relatively long period of time. However, other well known antiseptics may also be used in place of the zinc sulfooarbolate and it is not intended to limit this invention to the use of any particular antiseptic.

The completed bag 10 may be secured, by gluing, in the bottom of a cup-shaped container 15. The container 15 may be made of plastic or other suitable material. The container 15 may be provided with a cover 16 to aid in keeping the antiseptic eiective.

Operation In operation, the soaking of the bag 10 in an aqueous or alcoholic solution of an antiseptic such as zinc sulfo- Mice carbolate and the subsequent drying leaves crystals of the `antiseptic distributed evenly throughout the liber of the bag.

When a safety pin from a soiled diaper pierces the bag, the natural moisture on the pin is suicient to dissolve the crystalline antiseptic and coat the pin with a thin coating `of antiseptic liquid, killing all germs on the pin.

As the pin penetrates the cloth bag it moves into the emery-antiseptic mixture which further tends to kill germs while at the same time sharpens the pin.

As the pin is withdrawn from the bag it deposits small quantities of the antiseptic from the emery mixture between the fibers of the cloth bag thus replenishing the `antiseptic to th-e bag and preparing the bag for each succeeding puncture by a contaminated pin.

As the pin cushion is used, there is some tendency of the 'antiseptic to solidify into large masses due to the addition of moisture from the pins, and its subsequent evaporation. Such larger masses are broken down again into granular form by movement of the emery, as additional pins are inserted into the cushion, thus constantly maintaining the `antiseptic in granular form which is most readily useable in killing bacteria on the infected pins.

It will be realized that the foregoing specification is to be taken merely as a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various sizes, shapes and arrangement of parts of the cushion and materials for construction of the cushion may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope yof the subjoined claims.

That which is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a pin cushion of the character described, a porous bag, antiseptic crystals embedded in the pores of said bag, and pin engaging means including an antiseptic in said bag.

2. ln a pin cushion of the character described, a porous bag, antiseptic crystals embedded in the pores of said bag, and emery dust in said bag to sharpen pins inserted through the bag and thereinto.

3. In a pin cushion of the character described, a porous bag, antiseptic crystals embedded in the pores of said bag, and a mixture of emery dust and antiseptic crystals in said bag to sharpen and sterilize pins inserted therein.

4. A piu cushion as defined in claim 2 including antiseptic permeated flbrous material to receive pins extending into said bag and through the emery.

5. A pin cushion as defined in claim 3 including antiseptic permeated librous material to receive pins extending into said bag and through the emery.

6. A pin cushion as described in claim 2 in which the antiseptic crystals are zinc sulfocarbolate.

7. A pin cushion as described in claim 3 in which the antiseptic crystals are zinc sulfocarbolate.

8. In a pin cushion of the character described, a cloth. bag, antiseptic crystals embedded in the cloth `of said bag, and pin engaging means, including -an antiseptic in said bag.

9. A pin cushion as defined in claim 8 in which the bag is made of cotton cloth.

10. A pin cushion of the character described, a bag made of a fibrous material, antiseptic crystals embedded in the fibers of said material and pin engaging means, including an antiseptic, in said bag.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,087 Loomis Sept. 4, 1906 920,968 Lewis n May 11, 1909 1,725,999 Ryder Aug. 27, 1929 1,921,034 La Marche Aug. 8, 1933 2,210,318 Eckert Aug. 6, 1940 

